Archives for 2015

FFI believes that people living at the intersection of poverty, violence, trauma and oppression have the potential to live full and fulfilling lives. But too often, people encounter barriers to wellbeing in the very systems set up to help them, and they experience social structures that reinforce inequity and undermine individual and collective wellbeing. FFI increases access to wellbeing for the most marginalized people and communities by changingthose systems, challenging those social structures and removing those barriers.

With your generous support this year, we will expand our projects into new states and sectors, strengthen our work with community-based initiatives, build the movement for wellbeing and continue to remove barriers and change systems so that marginalized communities can unleash their potential and thrive.

Let’s unleash potential together. Support FFI today to help us reach our year-end fundraising goals and continue to increase access to wellbeing!

Recently, the Full Frame Initiative held a day-long training in St. Louis City with Court personnel, Division of Youth Services staff and Children’s Division staff. The training covered several topics, such as an overview of the Five Domains of Wellbeing, understanding tradeoffs and reviewing a court case. One of the other topics explored in the training was natural community supports. Each group was given a St. Louis City Neighborhood and asked to identify the actual name of community members from the mail carrier to the middle school teacher. Participants were not allowed to Google information but only use personal connections. The activity was a powerful way to solidify the importance of natural community supports.

Take a minute to listen to a group of 5th graders who wrote an article titled “You Really Don’t Know Us,” about their community. It is extremely powerful to hear from the youth about their community. Think about the neighborhood you work in, what are the natural supports in your community? Think beyond paid services because most paid providers will not be in the family’s life after the intervention. Think about who can help the family to make change that lasts.

Our latest newsletter showcases the ways in which our partners are breaking down silos, pushing beyond organizational boundaries and unleashing the potential for change, all to increase access to wellbeing for people living at the intersection of poverty, trauma, violence and oppression. Read it here to learn more, catch our latest blog post, meet new faces and find out who’s spreading the word!

The Full Frame Initiative (FFI) recently began an intentional examination into how, as an organization, it can step up its efforts as a racial equity champion. This summer, I was invited to a day-long conversation with a small group of FFI partners and allies to a consultative session “to inform the design of a process and structure that would allow FFI to better address the critical intersection of wellbeing, race and oppression.” Having been on the staff of FFI and now serving as an FFI Senior Fellow, I was excited to participate. Moreover, as an African American woman and “social justice warrior” I was especially eager to explore this critical topic with the leadership of FFI and several admired colleagues. We were able to have a relatively candid conversation that day: about the challenges of advocating for racial equity within the systems that stubbornly uphold status quo policy and practice despite their rhetoric; about the dearth of funding that incentivizes and supports a shift to equitable practice and policy; about the difficult conversation race and racism is in diverse company; and about how an organization like FFI, which has been predominantly “white,” steps into and embraces an appropriate role. The conversation was a forthright beginning, and together with a follow-up conversation I led with some of the other participants, some concrete recommendations were lifted up, upon which FFI can act. Additionally, the conversation revealed some important process points that can inform FFI’s actions as an ally of organizations of color at the forefront of the movement to undo systemic and systematic racism within the human services sector and beyond.

With regard to recommendations upon which FFI can take action, there are several building blocks in FFI’s existing approach and Five Domains of Wellbeing framework to build from. These strengths include:

A focus on people from marginalized communities who are not inherently broken but who struggle mightily because of/in spite of the conditions that confront them in toxic environments

A desire to co-create (read: recognize that solutions cannot be prescribed from outside these communities) conditions that are more supportive of wellbeing

A strengths-focus, that assumes that all people (even those, maybe even especially those, in the “deep-end of the deep-end”) have strengths and assets to build from

Movement building, which acknowledges that programs that fix people are not the answer, but that the challenges faced by marginalized communities are systemic and require a comprehensive, coordinated and sustained effort by many stakeholders

That value-based structural changes are the only means to transformed institutions, policies and practices that currently maintain inequity and disproportionality

One recommendation is for FFI to use its influence to ensure that the voice and participation of intended beneficiaries of color center any discussions/decisions about what works to support their pursuit of wellbeing. For each of the Five Domains of Wellbeing, FFI is encouraged to include even more explicit descriptions of how each domain is experienced by people of color at the intersection of poverty, violence and trauma. For example, how does being African American or Latino affect one’s perception of safety when one’s very identity is questioned or debased or serves as the basis for racial profiling? FFI should revisit existing documents, communications and training materials and make a focus on race equity more explicit (for example, by incorporating more cases, examples and statements that name people of color and their struggles and triumphs in striving for the same respect and opportunity available to others). FFI had already taken steps to make changes based on these recommendations and is continuing to do so.

With regard to FFI’s actions as an ally of organizations of color at the forefront of the race equity movement to undo racism, FFI intends to courageously delve into the question of what being such an ally means. The answers are not so simple, and I for one am glad that FFI recognizes this. I know that FFI has made serious attempts to diversify its staff and create a more inclusive environment where all staff contribute their value. In the meantime, how does an organization like FFI, which has been predominantly “white,” lead without minimizing the leadership of organizations of color? Are there specific realms of action that FFI should lead on versus follow? And given the hard-scrabble existence non-profits have to grow or even sustain their own work, where do FFI and allies find the space, time and resources required to build the trust necessary to forge strong, diverse racial equity partnerships? And yet it starts simply by recognizing the importance of sincerely asking these questions and acting responsively. I know that FFI is serious about asking and answering the tough questions and will seek able consultation to help them in developing a long-range plan of action. FFI recognizes the critical importance of engaging informed allies in its networks for change; it is encouraging that it recognizes also the critical importance of being/becoming an informed, engaged ally for/with others in the common ground network for race equity.

Audrey Jordan is FFI’s Senior Fellow of Community Engagement. Through her fellowship, she is exploring ways to “translate” and document how the Five Domains of Wellbeing are understood by people and communities with lived experience with poverty, violence and trauma.

Have you ever received a piece of clothing as a gift, but you didn’t like it? It’s possible that it came with a return receipt and you could exchange it for something else. Sometimes the gift giver will acknowledge that they weren’t sure you would like it and you should have something you feel good about. Many of us don’t think twice about having a choice of wearing what we like versus what we don’t like.

This is not often the case when folks are experiencing homelessness, poverty, or are involved in any type of social services. There is rhetoric in this country that “those people” should be happy with what they are given, even if it’s something that most people wouldn’t wear.

During one visit to REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, one of the advocates told a story about encountering a teenager in a family she was working with. It was the dead of winter and freezing outside and he had on a very flimsy jacket. She couldn’t let him face the harsh winter without proper apparel.

The advocate immediately notified her supervisor and told her she was taking the teen to the mall to purchase a winter coat for him. When they got there she told him to pick out whichever coat he wanted. She noticed him picking out the least expensive coat and she insisted that he shouldn’t worry about the money– if he has to wear it, he should be able to pick it out.

She recognized that this young man gets harassed for what he wears and was adamant that he gets something he feels good about.

For adolescents, wellbeing is deeply connected to having a social network of peers where they feel a sense of belonging and fit in. Part of fitting in is having clothes that friends and other classmates think would be “cool.”

Full Frame organizations like REACH pay attention to what might challenge somebody’s wellbeing and respond in a way that is customized to the individual. This includes using organizational resources to go above and beyond.

In a more traditional social service program, if program participants need clothes, they might be taken to the clothing closet to pick something out from a selection of donated and used clothing. However, not all clothing is created equal, and not having the “right” clothing may prevent adolescents from developing social connections or may result in them getting bullied.

This story from REACH illustrates how the Five Domains of Wellbeing are interconnected and build off of each other. In this case, having meaningful access to a relevant resource is supporting social connectedness, and directly influencing the teen’s wellbeing.

Leora Viega Rifkin was FFI’s Network Engagement Manager. She staffed the Greater Boston Full Frame Network and in her role spent time at the member programs to document how Full Frame practice looks in a variety of practice settings. REACH is a member of the Greater Boston Full Frame Network. This is a group of organizations that believe that everyone has a right to wellbeing and use the Five Domains of Wellbeing to support individuals and families make and sustain positive change in their lives. For a list of Greater Boston Full Frame Network members, click here.

Last fall, Missouri Children’s Division and FFI, with the support of Casey Family Programs, convened seven Community Conversations across Missouri as a core strategy in improving outcomes for children and families. The input and energy of over 300 participants from government agencies, nonprofit programs and communities across the state helped define and launch significant, meaningful change. Read the public progress report here: an overview of the process, results and actions to date.

Our latest newsletter focuses on the ways our partners are using the Five Domains of Wellbeing framework to make change happen in systems, programs and communities. Read it here to learn more, catch our latest blog post, and meet our newest team member, plus other exciting updates!

On September 23, Lehn Benjamin, Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University, will lead a Stanford Social Innovation Review webinar on “Valuing Frontline Work.” The webinar will include FFI’s Katya Fels Smyth, Maria Peña, Chief Program Officer at LIFT, and Jesús Gerena, Senior Vice President at Family Independence Initiative, as panelists.With an increasing focus on performance-driven frameworks, the webinar panelists will discuss what happens when organizations can’t easily measure the difference they’re making in people’s lives or account for the value of the work they deliver. And how do funders and policymakers accurately evaluate the effectiveness of the nonprofits they fund if the performance data does not adequately capture that?Learn more about this exciting webinar and register here!

Have you ever been in the hospital and asked a loved one to stop by your favorite spot to get you a treat? Maybe it was that banana split from your favorite ice cream parlor or the wings that you eat every Sunday while you watch the game with your friends. That treat represented some type of normalcy in the midst of a situation where you might not have had much control.

We all seek to build stability in our lives through creating rituals of predictability or habits. The Full Frame Initiative often refers to these as anchors. They are incredibly important to our wellbeing, but may not make sense or may seem trivial to others. These small practices and habits are especially critical in moments of uncertainty.

Everyone has a right to wellbeing, but not everyone has equal access to it. One way Full Frame organizations support program participants’ wellbeing is by allowing staff to have flexible roles so that they can prioritize what matters most to each person they work with. This includes prioritizing things that may—from the outside—seem trivial.

One member of our Greater Boston Full Frame Network, On The Rise in Cambridge, MA, understands that the roles their staff play in the lives of the homeless women who are part of their community might be seen as unorthodox in more traditional agencies. On a recent visit to On The Rise, a couple of front line staff told me stories of hospital visits to the women they work with, and the support they provided.

One advocate talked about how, on her way to visit a participant in the hospital, she stopped at this woman’s favorite spot to pick her up her favorite dish—a heaping plate of fried clams. In relaying the story, the advocate wanted me to understand the significance of this: that staff at On The Rise don’t dictate to people what they need because of their situation. Instead, they let the person decide what is helpful. Another advocate from OTR recounted a story of a woman who has been in the hospital for two years and continues her relationship with On The Rise. The woman called up the advocate and gave her a detailed list of very specific soaps and shampoos to bring to her. This is an example of someone who is really trying to hold onto the routines that contribute to her stability, not someone who is being picky or difficult.

From the outside, bringing someone clams or shampoo may not seem like a traditional staff role or equate to formal program service delivery. But Full Frame organizations have a completely different approach to the work—one that makes them particularly effective in supporting people’s wellbeing. On The Rise sanctions flexibility of staff roles because that is what is required. Their staff members understand that Full Frame work will often challenge the traditional notion of boundaries and of what constitutes services. However, navigating the messiness of that process is worth it to them because it’s the best approach for the women they work with.

Leora Viega Rifkin was FFI’s Network Engagement Manager. She staffed the Greater Boston Full Frame Network and in her role spent time at the member programs to document how Full Frame practice looks in a variety of practice settings. For a list of Greater Boston Full Frame Network members, click here.

FFI and our five project partners are pleased to announce that applications are currently being accepted for teams of 5-8 people, based in California, to participate in the new Learning from What Goes Well project. The teams will learn new ways to address domestic violence and other forms of violence and oppression in their own communities, and will be a part of a learning community with FFI and the project partners. The deadline for applications is August 10, 2015. Learn more about this opportunity!

featured news

Nine years ago, the Full Frame Initiative (FFI) was founded out of hope for what could beand frustration about what is. To this day, we stay centered on a central question: what if our service systems … Read More...

Statement on Equity and Social Justice

We believe equity and social justice are necessary for wellbeing--the needs and experiences required for health and hope. People experience barriers to wellbeing based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, and other identities. In particular, racism is a key part of what keeps inequity alive in the United States. We believe that increasing access to wellbeing is necessary to end racism and advance racial equity. We are committed to addressing issues of racial and social equity in all our work.